Air quality can be measured by levels of unwanted contaminants such as humidity, particulate matter, certain gases, or otherwise, within a specified region. Poor air quality can have negative effects on the surrounding environment, including building structure, equipment, people or otherwise. This negative effect can be exacerbated in small confined locations where the concentration of contaminants is increased. However, such negative effect can be equally felt in larger areas when the levels of unwanted contaminants exceed desired levels.
In smaller confined areas, such as bathrooms or otherwise, humidity levels can negatively affect paint, drywall, wood and metal located therein by causing increased decay, oxidation or other damaging effects to the particular material. For this reason, venting systems are placed in fluid communication with bathrooms for removal of humidity within the room. However, such venting systems typically require manual activation and deactivation. This manual requirement leads to the accumulation of unwanted humidity and/or excessive wear on the venting system when operating beyond a necessary time period. Also, physically challenged individuals, particularly in assisted care situations, have difficulty in activating and deactivating such devices as they may be out of reach.
The building industry has attempted to provide improved venting systems for rooms and facilities by providing occupancy or humidity sensors. However, these systems are often complex in design and installation, and are relatively high in cost. Further, installers of such systems are often required to be certified electricians thereby further increasing labor cost.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for an improved venting system for the removal of unwanted contaminants, particularly in confined spaces such as bathrooms or otherwise.